Variations in the biochemical characteristics of Lavandula sublepidota Rech.f. in response to the foliar enrichment of green-synthesized copper nano complexes from extract of neem and jujube.

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient in plant physiology and biochemistry. This article synthesized copper nano complexes (Cu-NCs) based on aqueous extracts of jujube and neem leaves. The effects of foliar application of Cu-jujube and Cu-neem Cu-NCs at concentrations of 0, 10, 25, and 50 mg L-1 on the bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, and essential oil of the Iranian native medicinal herb Lavandula sublepidota Rech. f. was investigated. The highest levels of flavonoids and polyphenols were observed in the plants treated with Cu-NCs at 25 mg L-1. However, no superiority was observed between the two types of Cu-NCs. Furthermore, 25 mg L-1 nCu-Z and nCu-N foliar application boosted essential oil yield (48 and 52%, respectively) over control. This suggests an ideal threshold beyond which toxicity was found. Similarly, the amount of commercially significant secondary metabolites increased at 25 mg L-1 CuNCs compared to 10 and 50 mg L-1 concentrations. The maximum antioxidant activity was found in extracts of lavender that had been treated with 25 mg L-1 CuNCs. When CuNCs were applied exogenously, the extracts' antibacterial activity (MIC µg mL-1) was substantially increased against the three pathogen strains. The results suggest that CuNCs demonstrate notably greater effectiveness, particularly at an ideal concentration of 25 mg L-1, in enhancing the production of essential oil and bioactive compounds in Lavandula sublepidota Rech. f. Therefore, these findings indicate the importance of the biosynthesis of NCs using plants and measuring the phytochemical changes of lavender plants.

Differential responses of green-synthesized iron nano-complexes in mitigating bicarbonate stress in almond trees.

High bicarbonate concentration in the soil induces iron (Fe) deficiency in fruit trees. According to the promising performance of nanomaterials in supplying mineral nutrients, in this study the potential of 4 green synthesized Fe nano-complexes (Fe-NCs) on alleviating bicarbonate stress in almond trees was evaluated in a soilless culture. The Fe-NCs were formed on extracts of husks of almond, pistachio, walnut, and pomegranate and their efficiency in Fe supply was compared to a commercial FeEDDHA fertilizer. The bicarbonate stress was imposed by adding sodium bicarbonate + calcium carbonate to the Hoagland's nutrient solution: Control (without sodium bicarbonate + calcium carbonate); 10 mM NaHCO3+5 mM CaCO3; 20 mM NaHCO3+10 mM CaCO3. The plants were irrigated with nutrient solutions containing different concentrations of bicarbonate and different sources of Fe for 120 days. Bicarbonate stress induced chlorophyll decline, proline accumulation and leaf necrosis, and decreased leaf area. These responses were in line with decline in Fe concentration and development of oxidative damage in leaves, as hydrogen peroxide accumulation and membrane stability index decline were observed in the bicarbonate-stressed plants. Although walnut-nFe and pistachio-nFe intensified these adverse effects of bicarbonate stress, the almond-nFe and pomegranate-nFe recovered chlorophyll concentration, alleviated the oxidative damage, and restored Fe in the plants to the range of FeEDDHA under bicarbonate stress. Alleviating the damages was related to retrieving the concentration of proteins, hydrogen peroxide detoxification, and catalase activity in the leaves. These findings uncovered the potential of green synthesized almond-nFe and pomegranate-nFe as low-cost and effective Fe sources under bicarbonate stress.

Differential response of biochar in mitigating salinity stress in periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus L.) as an ornamental-medicinal plant species.

To investigate the effect of various levels of salinity and biochar on the growth and biochemical traits of Catharanthus roseus L., a medicinal plant, a factorial experiment with three levels of biochar (0, 2, and 4%) and four levels of salinity (0, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 mg/kg soil) was conducted in pots under greenhouse conditions, in three replications, 36 pots, and 6 plants/plot. Salinity reduced the vegetative and reproductive growth and Ca and K uptake, and chlorophyll content of the plants, and increased the Na+, Cl-, electrolyte leakage, and antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT, GPX) activities. Biochar improved all the vegetative and reproductive growth and biochemical traits of Catharanthus roseus L. and enhanced soil fertility. The application of biochar at the rate of 2% at all four levels of NaCl reduced the activity of antioxidants and decreased electrolyte leakage, reflecting the alleviation of salinity effects and the retention of cell health for survival. The application of biochar 2% was more effective than biochar 4% in alleviating salinity stress. Therefore, by using 2% biochar, it is possible to improve saline soils (soils containing 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg NaCl) and grow periwinkle ornamental-medicinal plant in it. The plants showed acceptable performance at salinity levels of 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg with biochar 2%.

Bioactive compounds of Punica granatum L. wastes by high performance liquid chromatography analysis.

The massive pomaces of Punica granatum L. exhibit a challenging losses exposure difficulty for the processing industries. The resent study was aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds of pomace extracts to introduce it to different industries such as pharmaceutical, food, medicinal, agricultural etcetera for optimum use. Four different extracts were prepared and the phenolic compounds were quantified using HPLC-DAD. Different amounts of phenolic compounds were detected in the samples including gallic acid, catechin, ellagic acid, rosmarinic acid, hesperidin, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid. Gallic acid was major compound in all studied extracts of pomaces, with the maximum amount belonging to water extract (at 60 °C). The average amount of gallic acid detected in water extract (at 60 °C) of Punica granatum L. was 11.25 mg g-1 dry weight, while it was 3.24 3.02 and 1.09 mg g-1 dry weight for the extracts obtained by distilled water, methanol and methanol 80%, respectively.

Developmental and phytochemical changes in pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) using exogenous application of polyamines.

Polyamines (PAs) are natural active compounds having more than two amino groups that play important roles in many physiological and developmental processes in plants. The purpose of this research was to see how foliar polyamine spray affected growth and photosynthetic indices, as well as secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.). The experiment lasted for three months and was arranged in a randomized complete design with four replications. Three separate concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2.5 mM) of spermine (SPM), spermidine (SPD), and putrescine (PUT) were sprayed at four/five fully expanded leaf stage and some physiochemical attributes were evaluated. The treatments caused a significant increase in morphological and photosynthetic parameters and total oil. There were also significant variations in total phenolic and flavonoid content. Compared to other polyamines, 1 mM SPD foliar spraying showed the greatest effect. Furthermore, the highest antioxidant capacity (DPPH* scavenging assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ß-carotene bleaching activity) was observed in the 1 mM SPD treatment. The results showed that the calendula essential oils (EOs) were rich in sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (55.92-95.94%), with c-Cadinene and d-Cadinene as the major sesquiterpenes in the EOs. Also, the flowers were rich sources of carotenoids (lutein, flavoxanthin and luteoxanthin) following polyamines application. Hence, it can be inferred that polyamines specially spermidine would find a wide range of application in pharmaceutical industries due to its impact on antioxidant properties of phenolic and flavonoid compounds.

Iron nano-complexes and iron chelate improve biological activities of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).

In this study, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil (EO) in response to different Fe sources (Fe-arginine, Fe-glycine, and Fe-histidine nano-complexes and Fe-EDDHA) were examined. EO samples were predominantly constituted by the phenylpropanoid methyl chavicol (53-89.5%). Application of Fe nano-complexes significantly increased the occurrence and concentration of sesquiterpenes, while decreased the content of oxygenated monoterpenes. Antioxidant activity of basil EOs was evaluated using free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Nitric oxide, H2O2 and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances scavenging assays, and in all assays the highest and the lowest activities were recorded in basils supplied with Fe-histidine nano-complex (1.02, 1.62, 2.21, 3.22 mg mL-1) and control (3.89, 4.89, 5.52, 6.79 mg mL-1), respectively. Fe-histidine nano-complex was the most effective treatment to inhibit fungal (C. albicans: 0.058 mg mL-1; A. niger: 0.066 mg mL-1), Gram-negative (E. coli: 0.181 mg mL-1; S. typhimurium: 0.163 mg mL-1) and Gram-positive (B. subtilis: 0.033 mg mL-1; S. aureus: 0.002 mg mL-1) growth. In conclusion, application of iron nano-complexes significantly altered biological and pharmacological characteristics of basil EOs. Our results are quite encouraging since EOs exhibited potent antioxidant effect and antimicrobial activities.

Methyl jasmonate enhances salt tolerance of almond rootstocks by regulating endogenous phytohormones, antioxidant activity and gas-exchange.

The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) foliar application (0, 0.025, 0.050 and 0.075 mM) on the growth and physiological responses of two almond rootstocks (GF677 and bitter almond) exposed to various concentrations of NaCl in irrigation water (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM) were evaluated. 60 days after salt stress exposure, the mitotic index of root apical meristem cells as well as shoot and root growth, activity of main antioxidant enzymes, gas exchange parameters and contents of cytokinins and ABA were determined. Salt stress decreased the plants' growth, particularly at higher levels. Application of MeJA in optimal concentrations of 0.025 to 0.05 mM alleviated the adverse effect of salt stress by increasing the photosynthetic rate, activity of antioxidant enzymes (APX, SOD and POX), root and shoot dry mass, as well as cell membrane integrity. Furthermore, MeJA application brought about a two-fold increase in the concentration of leaf cytokinins. This reposition of cytokinins was due to restriction of both the activity of cytokinin oxidase and gene expression of this enzyme. The MeJA mitigating effect on the growth of salt-stressed plants could be a result of the inhibition of cytokinin decline under salt stress. The results revealed the effective impact of endogenous cytokinins in protective and growth improvement effects of MeJA on almond rootstocks under salt stress.

Characterization and Influence of Green Synthesis of Nano-Sized Zinc Complex with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Bioactive Compounds of Aniseed.

A new water soluble zinc-aminolevulinic acid nano complex (n[Zn(ALA)2 ]), which was characterized by TEM, IR, and EDX spectra, has been prepared via sonochemical method under green conditions in water. In the current study, the effectiveness of foliar Zn amendment using synthetic Zn-ALA nano complex, as a new introduced Zn-fertilizer here, was evaluated. As the model plant, Pimpinella anisum, the most valuable spice and medicinal plant grown in warm regions, was used. By using zinc nano complex, further twenty compounds were obtained in the essential oil of anise plants. Application of 0.2% (w/v) Zn-ALA nano complex increased the levels of (E)-anethole, ß-bisabolene, germacrene D, methyl chavicol, and α-zingiberene in the essential oil. Nano Zn complex at the rate of 0.2% induced considerable high phenolic compounds and zinc content of shoots and seeds. Chlorogenic acid had the highest level between four detected phenolic compounds. The maximum antioxidant activity was monitored through the application of Zn nano complex. According to the results, nanoscale nutrients can be provided with further decreased doses for medicinal plants. Using Zn-ALA nano complex is a new and efficient method to improve the pharmaceutical and food properties of anise plants.

Antioxidant activity, polyphenolic contents and essential oil composition of Pimpinella anisum L. as affected by zinc fertilizer.

BACKGROUND: The antioxidant activity and essential oil content of plants may vary considerably with respect to environmental conditions, especially nutrient availability. Among micronutrients, zinc (Zn) is needed by plants in only small amounts but is crucial to plant development. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Zn fertilization on the antioxidant activity, polyphenolic contents and essential oil composition of Pimpinella anisum fruit. RESULTS: Foliar application of Zn fertilizer considerably increased the number of detected essential oil components from 27 to 45. Zinc application at a rate of 0.2% (w/v) significantly enhanced the levels of ß-bisabolene, germacrene D, n-decane and α-zingiberene, whereas the opposite trend was observed for (E)-anethole and geijerene. Application of 0.2% Zn considerably increased the levels of phenolic compounds, with chlorogenic acid showing the highest content among eight phenolic compounds detected in treated plants. The maximum antioxidant activity was achieved through application of 0.2% Zn fertilizer. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that the quality and quantity of anise fruit essential oil components were significantly altered by application of low levels of Zn. After foliar application of Zn, polyphenolic contents as well as antioxidant activity of anise fruit increased. Using Zn fertilizer is an efficient method to improve the pharmaceutical and food properties of anise fruit. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.